BCPD Joins Active Bystandership For Law Enforcement Project

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — The Baltimore County Police Department has been accepted into the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) Project, Georgetown University Law Center’s national training and support initiative for U.S. law enforcement agencies committed to building a culture of peer intervention that prevents harm.

By demonstrating agency commitment to transformational reform with support from local community groups and elected leaders, Baltimore County Police join a group of more than 60 other law enforcement agencies and statewide and regional training academies chosen to participate in the ABLE Project’s national rollout. So far, hundreds of agencies across the country have expressed interest in participating.

Backed by civil rights and law enforcement leaders, the evidence-based, field-tested ABLE Project was developed by Georgetown Law’s Innovative Policing Program in collaboration with global law firm Sheppard Mullin LLP to provide "practical active bystandership strategies and tactics to law enforcement officers to prevent misconduct, reduce officer mistakes, and promote health and wellness."

ABLE gives officers the tools they need to "overcome the innate and powerful inhibitors all individuals face when called upon to intervene in actions taken by their peers."

Chief Melissa Hyatt noted that active bystandership training for police officers is an "essential component" of building and maintaining trust between police departments and the communities they serve.

“As the dedicated men and women of the Baltimore County Police Department continue serving our communities with the utmost professionalism, we remain committed to a path of progress and evolution. That pledge for continuous improvement includes adopting strategies designed to reduce harm,” Hyatt said in a statement. “This initiative provides our officers valuable tools and training and helps us achieve this goal."